Episode 894
Episode 894
"Look at that!"
"Are they first-years? Even as first-years, we never fell for such tricks."
The seniors who hadn't yet seen the junior riding the dragon sneered dismissively.
At Einrogard, tricks like "Behind you!" or "Look over there!" or "Gasp! It's the Headmaster!" were far too simple and clichéd—they only worked during the first semester of the first year.
But one by one, the number of seniors tilting their heads up at the sky gradually increased.
Eventually, even the remaining seniors couldn't hold back and lifted their gazes.
"...?!!"
"A... a dragon...?!"
Of course, one could argue that Einrogard students were used to raising and riding numerous magical creatures—even some illegal ones—so why be surprised by something like this?
But no matter how rare an animal was in the Empire, dragons were on an entirely different level.
Naturally, the implications of riding a dragon were also in a league of their own.
While those who tamed griffins or unicorns occasionally made it into the Imperial Newspaper, those recognized by dragons and allowed to ride on their backs only appeared in fairy tales or legends.
"...Are we... witnessing something incredible right now...?"
One of the seniors muttered under their breath.
No one had noticed, but without anyone calling for it, the fight had already stopped—a truly rare occurrence at Einrogard.
Everyone was so captivated by the sight before them that they had completely forgotten about the brawl. It was a spectacle worth that much.
'Wait, is it really possible to be recognized by a dragon? I thought those were just exaggerated rumors...'
'Amazing! I should add this to my thesis and publish it later. I'll need to include the junior's testimony too.'
'If he competes in the polo tournament like that, would it count as lèse-majesté?'
"Hey! That adventurer brat is running away!"
"Get him! Get him!"
Meanwhile, one of the captured adventurers was caught trying to crawl away.
The seniors hurled curses and unleashed a barrage of spells.
How dare this clueless intruder ruin the legendary scene unfolding before them!
"Wait a moment, Your Highness."
Though Lee Han had been forcibly lifted into the air after Jowurin bit him with an "Ack!" and made him ride on her back, the rush of wind against his face quickly brought him back to his senses.
Why—
"...Uh, is it really okay for me to just ride on your back like this? Doesn't this count as lèse-majesté or blasphemy?"
Jowurin scoffed at Lee Han's words.
What nonsense! What about Adenart or that... that... that... what was the name of that servant again?
"Gainando."
If Gainando carried Lee Han on his back, would that be blasphemy?
"Well, no, but..."
See! Lee Han had clearly been misled by strange rumors!
Jowurin's logic was undeniably persuasive.
Besides, they weren't even outside the school grounds—they were still within Einrogard's territory. The rules here were slightly different.
'Well, it's not like any Imperial nobles are watching, so maybe it can be excused...'
Just as Lee Han was about to accept this reasoning, another question popped into his head.
"That makes sense. But, Your Highness."
Hm?
"Adenart and Gainando are both in human form when they carry me. But you're letting me ride you in your dragon form."
Hm.
"I was under the impression that a dragon carrying a human on its back usually signifies strong recognition and support. Was I mistaken about that too?"
Though the dragon race was extremely small in number and rare, the legends surrounding them were rich and varied.
As such, Lee Han was fairly knowledgeable about many dragon customs and myths.
One of them was that dragons were notoriously picky about choosing humans.
Phrases like "chosen by a dragon" or "recognized by a dragon" existed for a reason—dragons were known to have extremely discerning tastes.
Just look at how proudly the Skeleton Principal boasted about learning magic from dragons.
And that was despite the fact that the Skeleton Principal was absolutely not the type to act humble in front of anyone.
Being acknowledged by dragons was truly a monumental achievement.
And the act of a dragon allowing someone to ride on its back... 'Wasn't that supposed to be proof of strong recognition or support? Was I mistaken?' No wonder dragon knights appeared in legends.
Where would you find a knight worthy of a dragon's recognition and support?
But seeing Jowurin speak like this made him wonder if the rumors and legends were exaggerated, and perhaps dragons actually gave people rides out of boredom.
"Uh..."
Jowurin suddenly trailed off. Lee Han felt a chill run down his spine. 'What? Is the wind cold because we're over the mountains?'
"Your Highness?"
"Uh... well... I suppose you could say such customs exist... maybe..."
Jowurin, belatedly recalling the Emperor's warning—'Don't let just anyone ride on your back'—began to hesitate.
Come to think of it, carrying Lee Han in human form and letting him ride in dragon form seemed to carry different meanings. The latter felt like a much stronger political statement...
"..."
"Your Highness. Please don't use Einrogard-style rhetoric."
Lee Han scolded him sternly. It seemed Jowurin was only learning mischief at Einrogard.
"J-Jowurin doesn't know what you're talking about! And even if such a custom exists, no one would have seen it anyway!"
"There were dozens of seniors here."
"Over there! Intruders!"
"Your Highness? Your Highness?"
Jowurin pretended not to hear and attempted a steep dive.
Lee Han sighed inwardly at Jowurin's increasingly cunning behavior. 'Should we have never let him into Einrogard?'
An already powerful race learning the wicked tricks of Einrogard—it was a terrifying prospect for the future.
"Fine. Let's die together!"
Though the adventurers of <Shadows of Kangla> had been effortlessly defeated by the students, they weren't without hidden weapons.
Among them, the craftsman had received a few magic items directly from Antagondals, marking him as particularly esteemed within the group.
A copper sheet tempered in hellfire rang three times before shattering into pieces along with gold.
And then, a portal appeared in the air.
"Come forth, demon of the Mountain-Crushing Hell!"
"Be careful! He's summoning a monster!"
Professor Ingoldel, along with the knights and swordsmen, immediately formed a perimeter at the ominous energy.
Jagged blades of hell sprouting sharply from the void.
A brutal killing intent that made no distinction between friend and foe.
To anyone watching, it was clearly the summoning of a demon at least as powerful as a legion commander. Even knights couldn't afford to be careless.
"Stop this now. Summoning a monster of that caliber will not leave you unscathed either!"
"Judging by your nonsense, you must be a knight. Then you shouldn't have chased us. Isn't that right?"
The few remaining adventurers sneered at the knight's outdated threats.
To think they'd tell them to stop summoning demons when adventurers would do anything to survive.
This was why conversations with knights were always frustrating.
Whether they did this or that, death was the same—wasn't gambling on survival just human nature?
"You've misunderstood my intent. Summoning a corrupted monster here means I won't grant you a quick death. I'll capture you and slice you to pieces from the toes up! If you want to die painlessly, cancel the summoning now!"
Professor Ingoldel's friends were generally strong and full of eccentric oddballs. The adventurers who had been mocking the knight's killing intent were instantly overwhelmed by the aura of the <White Poplar Knights>.
"...It's already too late. Look!"
—I smell delicious meat!
A monster composed of tens of thousands of blades tore through the portal by force and roared.
Having lingered in a hell where only hard metal existed, it had finally crawled out onto the surface, teeming with living beings.
The adventurers broke into a cold sweat.
Even though they had summoned it with the intent to die together, witnessing it firsthand sent terror surging through them.
"Don't freeze up! The Einrogard bastards will have to deal with the monster anyway!"
"Ingoldel, you chase them down! The rest of you, deal with that thing!"
The intruders fled.
The knights attempted to simultaneously hunt and pursue.
Witnessing this, the monster flew into a rage. How dare these insignificant mortals try to use or ignore it?
Both were unforgivable sins!
-How dare you, I, the Blade Judgm...
Eat this and die!
A golden beam descended from the sky like a falling star. It was a breath attack containing power as radiant as the sun.
Seeing that the opponent looked strong, Jowurin immediately unleashed her breath first. This was the lesson she'd received from Gonadaltes and the Emperor.
-What should I do when facing a strong enemy? Hmm... First, blast them with breath from a distance.
-And then?
-Blast them with breath again.
-And after that?
-Hmm... Blast them with yet another breath...
-Are you perhaps teasing Jowurin, Gonadaltes?
-No.
Though half-joking in tone, Gonadaltes never lied about such matters.
The Emperor also agreed with Gonadaltes' tactics.
Since a dragon's breath was one of their strongest innate weapons, it was correct to open with a ranged breath attack when facing powerful foes.
An overpowered ultimate technique that could overturn differences in strength and experience with a single strike.
That was the dragon's breath.
KWAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
The deafening roar shook the earth. The monster that had just emerged from the Blade Hell screamed horribly as its very existence was battered by the storm of overwhelming power.
The ancient magical power contained within the dragon's breath melted away even the formidable monster's defenses.
-Ugh, uwaaah, UWAAAAAAH!
Huff, huff, pant... I can't breathe...
"Your Highness! Mana! Take my mana!"
As expected, the still-growing Jowurin immediately suffered recoil after her breath attack.
Seeing Jowurin panting in distress, Lee Han quickly transferred his mana to her.
Normally, the idea of a human giving mana to a dragon was absurd, but in this situation, such common sense was ignored.
Revitalized by the extremely refined, high-purity mana, Jowurin quickly recovered. She opened her maw wide again, gathering power that could shatter the world's laws.
----------!!!!!!
The second breath was so loud it couldn't even be properly heard through ears still ringing from the first. Lee Han poured more mana into her.
Having fired two breath attacks without tiring, Jowurin proudly declared she must have grown stronger.
Monster! Jowurin will defeat you!
"...Your Highness! Your Highness! Attack from range! Only use breath attacks from range!!"
Lee Han was horrified, but the dragon, intoxicated by battle frenzy, was completely excited. She raised her forelegs fiercely, preparing to dive and tear apart the already battered monster.
Knowing well how strong and tenacious creatures from other dimensions could be, Lee Han immediately drew his staff and chanted a spell.
Deadly elemental magic pummeled the monster's body with follow-up attacks. Despite being ravaged by pyrokinesis and Water Prison Bombs, the enemy stubbornly writhed.
Desperation and tension sharpened Lee Han's focus to its limit - he needed to finish off the opponent completely before Jowurin engaged in melee.
The fingertips of his free hand suddenly transformed into lightning.
ZAP!
The hand he'd kept empty to aim pyrokinesis became a bolt of lightning that pierced through the enemy.
This lightning was qualitatively different from what he'd fired before. The already mortally wounded monster silently screamed its last as its life was extinguished.
Perkuntra's Authority!
Too focused on the enemy to notice, Lee Han had just manifested Perkuntra's Authority as magic. He had materialized that Authority into spell form.
Jowurin's strike!
Unaware the enemy was already dead, Jowurin excitedly swung her foreleg. The powerful wind pressure reduced the monster's form to dust that scattered into nothingness.
Jowurin has won!
"Your Highness!"
Yes! Lee Han may praise her more!
"Have you lost your mind?!"...
Why, why???